By David Nagel
Every horse in the Southern Hemisphere has the same birthday – August 1 – but five-year-old mare Sacred Lass might be asking for a change to February 4 after her dominant win at The Valley on Friday night.
Trained at Pakenham by Phillip Stokes – the daughter of Sacred Falls/Promenade won her second race in exactly 12 months after giving her rivals a galloping lesson in the $60,000 Filles and Mares BenchMark-70 Handicap (2040m).
Sacred Lass saluted at Kilmore on the same day last year, and has since been consistent despite the form guide not confidently backing that up.
A last-start ninth at Flemington – beaten under three lengths in a $130,000 race – gives an indication of the mares’ under-the-radar status heading into Friday night’s assignment.
But 2:06.56 later her form was never in doubt after a commanding two-and-a-half length victory.
Jockey Ben Allen rode the perfect race, sitting outside the leader Nerve Not Verve before kicking away from the tiring leader at the 800-metre mark. The pair then put a gap on their rivals in the run to the finish post, finishing well clear of second-placed Shezadandi.
Stokes’ stable representative Michael Harrison said it was a long watch after Allen took off with 800 left to run.
“It was a bit nerve-wracking at the half mile, when he took off, I thought it might have been a bit early, but Ben (Allen) knows these races really well, he rides them well…and she’s in form,” Harrison said.
“I think early on, the first few runs over the 2000, she’s been very close, but there’s not a hair out of place on her at the moment, full credit to the team at home, they’ve just done a really good job with her.
“It’s been a great prep this time in and every time we’ve come here she’s just relished the track.
“We thought coming here it might be a bit firm tonight, but full credit to Ben, it was a great ride and he showed good initiative a long way out.”
Allen said the race panned out perfectly according to script.
“It worked out good, she jumped quick and landed in front and we just let the race unfold the way it did,” Allen said.
“We only went steady so I served it up to the leader (Nerve Not Verve) just to make sure we went that nice speed where nothing would take us on early.
“She travelled good and the leader dropped off early. She towed me straight past her and in these races, you have to keep your momentum up, especially on these tight tracks, if you can get that break you can hold it.
“Before tonight, she hadn’t won a race this time in but she’d been running super, honest and consistent, and that’s a credit to Phil’s (Stokes) team.”
Friday night’s win took Sacred Lass’s overall record to four wins and nine placings from 20 career starts with earnings of $127,000 in prizemoney.
